Nottingham City Council and intu are due to sign a conditional development agreement for intu Broadmarsh on Monday 27 January which will play a fundamental part in transforming the shopping experience in Nottingham.
The signing of the agreement is an important step in the major improvements that are planned for Nottingham’s two main shopping centres over the next few years, including:
- The £40million remodelling and refurbishment at intu Victoria Centre which is already underway
- The £150m proposed investment by intu and the City Council in the redevelopment of intu Broadmarsh, the car park and associated public realm improvements, ahead of…
- …a wider development and extension of intu Victoria Centre.
Transformation of intu Broadmarsh
Leader of Nottingham City Council Councillor, Jon Collins said: “This agreement means that the key component of our plans to reinvigorate the city centre for visitors and shoppers can move forward, with the transformation of intu Broadmarsh. I am also pleased that, working together with intu, over the next few years we will be seeing major investment in and around both of our shopping centres.”
New brands and restaurants
Mike Butterworth, chief operating officer for intu, said: “intu now has in place investment plans that will extend and upgrade the city’s two favourite shopping destinations, introduce new brands, restaurants and leisure spaces and create new and improved gateways to the city in the north and south. Work is already underway on the first of these projects with the £40million remodelling and refurbishment of intu Victoria Centre and I am really pleased that we can start to take the intu Broadmarsh plan forward as well.”
The agreement, which is subject to commercial and legal conditions, means that construction work to extend and refurbish intu Broadmarsh could start before the end of 2015.
Potential designs: public consultation
While intu have been in discussions with the council, they have also been working with local architects Benoy since early 2012 on potential designs.
Mr Butterworth said “We are pleased with the progress of these designs and we want to make sure that we now also consider what the people of Nottingham would like to see as part of the redevelopment. So, before we undertake the formal public consultation later this year, we’re going to create a space at intu Broadmarsh where everybody can let us know their thoughts and ideas so we can develop these designs further.”
Attracting the best UK and international brands
As well as considering what the local shoppers would like to see, it’s important that the redeveloped centre provides the right space and environment for modern retailers and leisure operators to attract the best UK and international brands. So intu will also be embarking on discussions with retailers to make sure the designs cater for their needs as well.